. >> cochineal is a bug that comes from mexico, and it gave us a sort of a red color, as well. and what we do here is we actually grind it in order to create the pigments that the children are using. >> and the last color -- blue -- it came from this mineral called lapis lazuli. that blue is really nice. >> the lapis lazuli blue stone was so rare and expensive, you had to get it from afghanistan, you had to hike up the hindu kush mountains, so it became tied to either the royalty or the most important cathedrals, to show that they were the ones capable and wealthy enough to get this resource. >> you might call this an illuminating experience. these students now have a new appreciation for what it once took to make a book. >> they just like discovering how long an average illuminated manuscript might take -- three to five years to make a single book is sort of a wow factor. >> i used to think that manuscripts were just like pictures of things that were just, like, beautiful. and then now i think that it's really hard to make and it takes a lot of work and that it really reflects